Episode 74: Student Podcast Features from NUTR*4070: Nutrition Communication and Knowledge Translation
In this episode, we are excited to share some awesome work from students at the University of Guelph. These two podcasts were created by students in the course NUTR*4070: Nutrition Communication and Knowledge Translation, in the fall semester of 2024. The two podcasts cover the important topics of sleep and TikTok usage among youth and teens. It is our pleasure to share these well researched and expertly executed podcasts with our audience. We hope you enjoy this episode!
Attributions:
Healthy Sleep for Teens by Ziyan Xu, Maryam Malekghasemi, Judy Frichitthavong
The Wellness Wave: TikTok and Your Health by Shirley Le, Rose Holub, Clarissa Mallen
Transcript
Healthy Habits, Happy Homes Podcast
Season 7, Episode 74
Student Podcast Feature from NUTR*4070: Nutrition Communication and Knowledge Transfer
Marciane Any (0:05)
Hello, welcome to the Healthy Habits, Happy Home podcast hosted by the Guelph Family Health Study.
Tamara Petresin (0:14)
If you’re interested in the most recent research and helpful tips for healthy, balanced living for you and your family, then this podcast is for you. In each episode, we will bring you topics that are important to your growing family and guests who will share their expertise and experience with you.
Marciane Any (0:31)
Our quick tips will help your family build healthy habits for a happy home.
Tamara Petresin (0:39)
Welcome back to the Healthy Habits Happy Homes podcast. I’m Tamara
Marciane Any (0:42)
And I’m Marciane.
Tamara Petresin (0:45)
And today we are happy to, yet again, feature the work of some fourth year Applied Human Nutrition students right here at the University of Guelph in the Family Relations and Applied Nutrition Department on campus with some student podcasts! These students were tasked with creating an informative podcast for their fourth-year Nutrition Education course and today we have the pleasure of sharing two of the amazing podcasts.
Marciane Any (1:03)
First up, we have an episode on sleep by students Ziyan, Judy, and Maryam that features insights from Kathy Somers from the Stress Management and Health Performance Clinic on campus and featuring one of GFHS’s own Katarina Osojnicki, a master’s student currently working in the study. Enjoy!
Judy (1:26)
Welcome back to “Shut Eye,” where we cover all topics about sleep. We’re your hosts, Judy, Ziyan, and hold on, where’s Maryam?
Maryam (1:38)
Oh no everyone, I’m so sorry I’m late. I took a nap today and slept in. I was in a rush getting here, I swear.
Judy (1:45)
You took a nap before our sleepover episode?
Maryam (1:49)
Okay yeah, I mean you got me there, but can I tell you a secret?
Yeah sure.
I stayed up last night watching Bridgerton.
Ziyan (1:59)
Oh, that show, I’ve never seen it.
Maryam (2:02)
What? You have to watch it. It usually helps me fall asleep, but I woke up feeling so groggy. I guess my attempts at a good sleep didn’t really work out.
In today’s episode, “Powering Off,” we’ll explore the importance of good sleep in teens aged 14 to 18 attending high school, and how screen time is one factor that negatively affects it.
Judy (2:18)
We’ll do this by answering some questions submitted by our listeners. Why does sleep quality and quantity matter to teens? Is screen time a large contributor to poor sleep, and what can you do about it?
Maryam (2:39)
Along the way, we’ll discuss a couple of myths that might leave you questioning your sleeping decisions.
Ziyan (2:44)
Kathy Somers is a registered kinesiologist, founder of the “Better Sleep Program,” and currently working at University of Guelph to provide students with programs to help with relaxation and stress management.
Maryam (2:58)
is a second year Master of Science student at the University of Guelph in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Science. Her research with the Guelph Family Health Study focuses on children’s sleep and physical activity, also extending to adolescents residing in Guelph, and how their current habits may impact their future health.
Judy (3:19)
We thank them for sharing their knowledge on this topic with us, and we will be referencing them throughout this episode. So, get comfy, and let’s chat about sleep!
So, there’s all this talk about having a good night’s sleep, but what does this really mean?
Maryam (3:39)
Well, me personally, I feel like I sleep well if I don’t wake up feeling exhausted first thing in the morning, right?
Ziyan (3:46)
Yeah, same here. I feel like I’ve had enough sleep if I don’t automatically want to go back to sleep, but also if I don’t feel tired throughout the day.
Maryam (3:57)
Well, Kathy describes good sleep as that as well. You should feel restored and have enough energy to get through the day without falling asleep while doing your everyday activities.
Judy (4:09)
Katarina says that good sleep needs both quality and quantity, but it’s also more complex than that and includes the absence of sleep disorders like insomnia or night terrors. Basically, sleep can influence nearly every aspect of life.
Ziyan (4:20)
What do you mean by sleep quality and quantity?
Judy (4:28)
So, quality can be measured through efficiency, which is the time spent asleep versus time spent in bed intending to sleep. For example, I could say I’m going to bed at 11 p.m. and I’ll wake up at 7 a.m., which is eight hours, but I could be tossing and turning or I could be on my phone for an hour, so I’d only be sleeping for seven hours, which is 88% efficient, and that’s also assuming that I didn’t wake up throughout the night.
Maryam (4:52)
Oh yeah, that makes sense, but like why should we care about sleep though? Like what did you mean by sleep influencing aspects of one’s life? Is this about school and academic achievements?
Judy (5:05)
Yeah, exactly. So good sleep is positively associated with enhancing academic and physical performance, supporting emotional well-being, so that could be emotional regulation, anxiety, and depression, and it improves judgment.
Ziyan (5:18)
Oh yeah, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine states a 20 to 40 percent increase in memory retention and recall from sufficient sleep.
Maryam (5:32)
Oh, I see the correlation. Okay, so like as a student, if I sleep well, I can stay more focused and alert throughout the day, but it’s hard getting this good sleep though because of my demanding daily schedule. I’m sure y’all feel the same. Like, I need to go to the gym and my classes, I need time for cooking sometimes and doing assignments, so I sleep late and wake up early all the time. Sometimes it’s hard to find time just for myself.
Ziyan (6:01)
Yeah, school’s no joke. I’m guilty of falling asleep during class or if I’m really sleepy, I try to take a nap in between classes.
Judy (6:10)
I can really be like that sometimes. I find that I yawn way too much during class and it’s so hard to pay attention because I’m drifting off to sleep in my seat.
Maryam (6:19)
And it’s crazy to think that I did way more as a teenager though. Like, I had a full day of classes every day and extracurriculars like piano and martial arts, and then I have to eat and do homework.
Ziyan (6:32)
Oh whoa, that’s a super busy schedule. No wonder it’s so important that these teens get their sleep. How can they even function?
Maryam (6:41)
Well, now that you say that, according to an article from Center for Disease Control and Prevention published in 2020, approximately 75 percent of teens report insufficient sleep, instead of the recommended 9 to 10 hours, where screen time is a major contributor.
Judy (6:59)
Oh, that’s a high number. I’ve also read in a 2020 study published in the American Academy of Pediatrics that during puberty, the body’s internal clock changes, causing teens to stay awake later at night and sleep later.
Maryam (7:12)
Yeah, and as teens’ brains and bodies continue growing and developing until, like, age 24, some of this vital development, healing, and growing happens then.
Ziyan (7:20)
I heard about that. Like the release of growth and hunger hormones, right?
Maryam (7:25)
Exactly. Kathy states that sleep is very beneficial as it’s important in maintaining proper glucose tolerance and helping regulate leptin and ghrelin, which control hunger and fullness. So, if you get enough sleep, the urge to overeat is reduced as food feels more satisfying.
Ziyan (7:49)
That’s really helpful information, but other external factors can decrease our chances of a good sleep, like what about phones and screen time, especially with younger generations?
Maryam (8:02)
This actually ties into a question from our listener when they asked, “Is it good to put something on to watch as I fall asleep?” I find that I need to watch YouTube every night before bed. I eventually get tired and drift off to sleep while the video plays. I wanted to know if there were any negative consequences of this.
Judy (8:22)
So, that’s a great question. I know many people, like me, like to watch videos before bed. We feel like, “ah, this is relaxing, and now I’m getting tired, and now I can sleep easily. Like, it’s lulling me to sleep. “There’s this thought that there couldn’t be anything wrong with screentime before bed. However, that’s a myth.
Ziyan (8:40)
That’s right, and based on what Kathy Somers told us, despite focusing on screens may distract our brain from stressful, demanding, or worrying thoughts, making it easier to fall asleep, still, unpredictable noise can disturb sleep.
Judy (8:57)
Yeah, and it can prevent us from getting the slow wave sleep stage, which is the most physically restorative and energizing sleep stage. Some people use fans, or white, gray, red, or brown noise to cover up these unexpected sounds that can disrupt sleep.
Maryam (9:12)
My day’s always so busy, so I really like that personal time before bed, which includes scrolling and watching videos. But it just seems like the videos are just activating my brain when I actually want it to be calm and relaxed.
Judy (9:28)
I feel the same way, because the more I think about it, sometimes I go to bed already in a tired state, and then I listen to YouTube videos, and I feel like my brain is working hard to focus on what’s going on in the video.
Ziyan (9:40)
People should restrict their screentime before bed overall. It’s not just the noises that can cause issues. More importantly, the blue light emitting from our screens is problematic.
[sound effect] It can signal our brain to be alert, feel less sleepy at bedtime, and prevent release of melatonin. So, melatonin is a hormone produced in the brain in response to darkness, which is the reason why we feel sleepy and fall asleep at night.
Maryam (10:11)
Kathy also says that it prevents our brain waves from slowing down into the pre-sleep state, right? What about those apps and light filters that are supposed to help with this?
Judy (10: 16)
Good point, but they actually aren’t helpful, because there’s still decreased melatonin release. The screen is even closer to our faces when on our phones in bed than when, for example, seated in a chair. Before bed, the closer your phone is to your face, the greater the time it takes to fall asleep, decreasing sleep efficiency and causing poorer sleep.
Judy (10:48)
Oh, so when in doubt, just don’t use your phone at night? Or, I guess, just try to restrict phone use.
Maryam (10:57)
But, like, I literally have a warm light filter for my phone. It’s crazy that some things we thought were helping are actually not making any changes.
Judy (11:14)
We chatted a lot about this now and have gained insightful knowledge, which is great, but I feel like I need to do something about it. Do y’all feel the same way?
Maryam (11:23)
Well, funny you say that, because I actually have some tips that might help us get some well-deserved shut eye. See what I did there? [silence] We got a tough crowd.
Okay, well, you’ve heard of the “keto” diet, a gluten-free diet, even the caveman diet, but what about a screen-free diet? Kathy Somers recommends 10 minutes before bed, you put all devices on charge in another room. [groan] I know, I know, but bear with me, okay?
Both (11:30)
After a few nights- A few nights?
Maryam (11:35)
I know, but trust me, we got this. We’re in this together. After a few nights of getting used to this, put them in another room for 20 minutes before bed. Then after a few nights, for 30 minutes. Continue until you are screen-free for 60 to 90 minutes before bed. And, also, no caffeine for six or more hours before bedtime.
Judy (12:18)
What? I mean, I guess these things don’t happen overnight. We take it step-by-step.
As Katarina says, sleep is a modifiable behavior, so all it takes are some adjustments to optimize overall health.
Maryam (12:31)
Exactly. I mean, I’ve also been trying consistent bedtime- and wake- times for the past few weeks, and I’ve noticed that I fall asleep faster and I’m actually not yawning as much during class.
Judy (12:37)
Good idea. Having a bedtime routine can really help with this.
Ziyan (12:45)
Actually, a 2021 study published in the Medicine Journal suggests that mindfulness practices like meditation, low-impact exercises such as yoga, and walking, positively impacting mental health and academic performance.
Maryam (13:05)
But hey y’all, I hate to interrupt this discussion, but I think we’re nearing the end of our sleepover episode. [What?!] But, before hitting the hay, we’ll summarize some key takeaways. Sleep can influence basically every aspect of a teen’s life because it’s crucial for growth and development. Getting good sleep involves both quality and quantity and should make you feel restored.
Judy (13:31)
Good sleep enhances academic and physical performance and improves memory, mental health, and overall wellbeing.
Ziyan (13:38)
Screen time, blue light, and specific noise from screens can negatively impact our sleep. For example, blue light decreases melatonin release.
Maryam (13:49)
Also, following the “screen diet” and having a bedtime routine that includes mindfulness practices are beneficial, but it’s also important to take things step-by=step. Adjusting sleep is a commitment that takes time.
Judy (14:06)
Thank you so much for tuning into this episode of Shuteye. We’re your hosts Judy, Ziyan, and Maryam. Sleep well!
Tamara Petresin (14:17)
Wow, what an informative episode. Sleep is so important.
Marciane Any (14:22)
It really is. I’m not gonna lie, I felt a bit called out about the screens before bed. That is so me.
Tamara Petresin (14:31)
Me too, me too. I’m bad like that as well. Honestly, I feel like I’m inspired now to change that habit because it really does wake you up a bit more.
Marciane Any (14:39)
It really does. I do feel like my brain is, like, “what do I focus on, the video or sleep?” So, I’ll definitely be taking their input to, like, 10 minutes before bed, just no screens and let’s see what happens.
Tamara Petresin (14:54)
Yeah, I know. I feel like that’s a bit ambitious. Like, we gotta start those off small and then maybe we’ll build the habit.
Marciane Any (14:59)
100%. I actually got a white noise machine for my birthday, so I should probably start using that.
Tamara Petresin (15:07)
You know what? I’ve actually found it really helpful to use. I have brown noise.
I’m not gonna lie, I don’t really know what the difference is between all the noises. There’s blue noise, white noise, brown noise. I don’t know. I just find it on YouTube and then I put on brown noise to fall asleep and that’s actually helped a lot because, like they were talking about in their episode, I used to be the type of person that was, like, “let me put on something to fall asleep to watch a video,” but, then you end up staying awake. We’ve got to try our brown noise and white noise machines maybe.
Marciane Any (15:38)
100%. They shared so many helpful tips that I’m sure we’re very excited to try and hopefully our audience tries it too.
Next up, we have students Shirley, Rose, and Clarissa who put together an episode on TikTok and our health.
[Disclaimer] This episode includes discussions about eating disorders and mental health. Please listen with care and reach out for support if needed.
Shirley (16:07)
Welcome to the “Wellness Wave” where we discuss trending health topics. I’m Shirley and my co-hosts are Rose and Clarissa. In today’s episode, we will talk about a topic that might just hit close to home for a lot of us, which is excessive TikTok screen time. We all know how easy it is to get hooked on endless scrolling. So, stay tuned until the end for some tips on how to limit that.
[music]
So, I’m an ex TikTok connoisseur. I’m curious to hear what’s been trending recently.
Rose (16:39)
Ooh, I’ve recently been loving all of this holiday baking content that’s been popping up on my “For You” page lately. Baking is really de-stressing for me, and I love that TikTok inspires me to try new recipes.
Clarissa (16:52)
I’m actually also not on TikTok anymore. However, I am still stuck on Instagram Reels, which is arguably the same thing. The majority of my “For You” page consists of cooking videos and how to be resourceful with what’s left in your fridge, that sort of stuff.
Shirley (17:08)
I really like finding new recipes or discovering restaurants around town.
Rose (17:10)
Wow, you guys are making me look bad. Kidding, but I’m also trying to cut down on my TikTok screen time. I’ll get there one day.
Shirley (17:17)
That’s understandable. Did you know that the “social shepherd” reported that the average TikTok user opens the app 19 times a day? Isn’t that startling?
Rose (17:27)
Ugh, yeah, I’m not surprised. My average screen time report last week was five hours, with TikTok making up about 70% of that, I’m ashamed to say. I’ve tried deleting the app before, but I always feel such strong FOMO, which is the “fear of missing out” and end up redownloading it.
Shirley (17:42)
I get it.
Clarissa (17:44)
I’ve juggled feelings of FOMO since deleting TikTok too. But in recent months, I’ve kind of started to not care about it anymore. But it is really hard to detach from something that everyone we know is part of.
Rose (17:55)
It’s strange. I mean, I wouldn’t expect a silly little app to have such an impact on my attention span and productivity. Why is it that so many of us feel that way?
Clarissa (18:04)
It’s just the algorithm. The whole purpose of the app is to make you addicted. According to TikTok, the app analyzes your behavior, every “like,” “share,” “search,” and even the amount of time that you spend watching a single video. Based on all of that, it’ll curate a “For You” page and keep the users engaged to stay on the app. On top of that, the videos are in a short-form content style. I read an article from the American Addiction Center a while back that explains the science behind how we get hooked on short-form content.
Basically, this content triggers the release of dopamine, very high levels of it, which is our chemical messenger for pleasure in our brains.
Shirley (18:41)
Speaking of the algorithm, I noticed that other social media platforms have adopted TikTok’s addictive style. Now we have Facebook and Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Snapchat Spotlight.
Rose (18:53)
Ugh, I miss the old Instagram. I see too many videos now and not enough of my friends’ posts.
Shirley (18:59)
I think these apps are designed to get you to stay on the app as long as possible with less value for actual social connections. That’s so true. I remember when I was on TikTok, all I saw were trends, like, “before and after”, or “what I eat in a day.” These kinds of trends focus a lot on physical appearance or fad diets, and I just remember comparing myself to people online, nitpicking how I look or what I eat.
Rose (19:24)
It’s hard. I mean, I like to use TikTok for workout and healthy meal inspiration, but as you can imagine, there’s a downside to some of that content too, with it being potentially harmful. I feel lucky to be at an age and from an educational background where I can separate those videos from reality and what is best for me and my body, but I can imagine how difficult it may be for other, younger girls to deal with this influx of health information and, quite frankly, pseudoscientific advice without the proper education on media literacy.
Clarissa (19:58)
I’m really glad you brought that up, Rose. In a 2024 report done by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization), girls are twice as likely to develop eating disorders with the input of social media. On top of that, in the same report, they found that the TikTok algorithm produces body image and mental health content every 39 seconds, and there’s new content related to eating disorders posted every eight minutes, all of which gives sense to our young, vulnerable audiences.
Shirley (20:27)
Wow, if that’s the case, I wonder how much of the health content on TikTok is accurate. It seems like even non-certified people can give you tips and tricks on how to take care of yourself.
Rose (20:37)
I mean, it really depends on your algorithm and what types of content you interact with. Interestingly, a recent report by “MyFitnessPal” and Dublin City University looked at diet and nutrition content on TikTok by analyzing over 67,000 videos using AI. They compared the content against public health and nutrition guidelines. Surprisingly, only 2.1% of the content was accurate in accordance with these guidelines.
Shirley (21:05)
Oh, that’s alarming to hear.
Rose (21:08)
Yeah, for sure. I also feel that as nutrition students, we have a pretty big advantage. We’re constantly learning how to sniff out faulty information from a mile away with our extensive training on how to decipher research. Not everyone possesses these tools, though. I find that conflict of interest is a huge issue as well. Some may have professional or expert in front of their name, but this doesn’t mean that they aren’t trying to sell you something. This is why it’s so important to look at someone’s credentials and to also consult your family physician before starting any new diet or lifestyle change.
Shirley (21:43)
I think the first step to reducing your screen time on TikTok is to recognize that you’re on it for longer than you should be. What do you guys think are some signs that you’ve been on TikTok for way too long?
Clarissa (21:53)
Well, signs will vary from person to person, but there’s actually been a list put together by the “Social Media Victims” Law Center. Common ones are withdrawal from social hangouts with friends and family, less time spent doing hobbies or physical activities that the person would usually do, not completing schoolwork, or having an intense emotional response when they’re separated from technology.
Shirley (22:14)
Oh, I’ve definitely experienced all of that, especially separation anxiety from my phone. I will sometimes freak out when I don’t feel my phone on me. It feels like an extension of myself, as weird as it sounds.
Rose (22:26)
Personally, I don’t really experience withdrawal from hangouts with friends per se, but I do find that going on my phone and specifically TikTok has become a part of my routine. When I get home from a long day on campus, I’m very tempted to sit down for 20 to 30 minutes and scroll mindlessly on my phone before I start any of my other tasks. It’s very frustrating and limits how much I can get done in a day, for sure.
Clarissa (22:51)
That’s totally fair. Sometimes when I’m hanging out with my group of friends, I notice that we’re just sitting on all of our phones and I’m kind of wondering, “what was the point of even hanging out?” Right? That’s happened to me and my friends a few times as well. To focus on another sign of excessive use, we mentioned the term FOMO (the fear of missing out), which is very common to feel amongst individuals who spend too much time online. Have you guys ever experienced things like this before? Do you think you can relate?
Shirley (23:18)
Yes, sometimes I would not be able to make it to a social hangout and would constantly check Instagram or TikTok to see what my friends are up to so that I don’t feel like I’m out the loop. Other times, I would just check for the sake of not missing any important messages and then one thing leads to the other. I’m mindlessly scrolling.
Rose (23:37)
Yeah, for sure. I think that’s one of the main reasons I still have the app. If I had to guess, I’d say I probably receive about 40 to 50 videos and messages a day from friends. So, it’s been hard to take a step back from that.
Shirley (23:53)
I believe now is a good time to talk about TikTok in the news, especially with the recent ban of its operation in Canada.
Rose (24:01)
Thanks, Shirley. Yeah, so the government has ordered a nationwide shutdown of TikTok operations in Canada after a national security review under the “Investment Canada Act.” There’s worries of data sharing with the Chinese government since the TikTok parent company is Chinese. So all offices will close and those working for the company will be let go. However, Canadian users and creators will continue to be able to use and post on the app.
Shirley (24:30)
It will be an interesting story to follow. This is the part I’m sure everyone’s been waiting for. We’ve all struggled with excessive TikTok use before. Do you guys have some tips or recommendations for our listeners?
Clarissa (24:44)
Yeah, absolutely. A strategy I use is something I like to call “out of sight, out of mind.” Basically, I just remove the apps that I consider to be problematic from my phone’s home screen. I noticed an immediate difference in the amount of time that I would spend on social media. In the past, I would open my phone for something functional, but I would see Instagram or TikTok and get so quickly distracted. I also noticed that by removing the apps, I was starting to practice self-awareness since the only way I could access the apps was by searching for them by name. That was enough time to ask myself, do I really want to go on this app? Something as simple as not seeing the app as an option can really help us stay on track with our tasks and spend less time on our screens. In this case, the strategy actually helped me to eventually delete the apps entirely, and now I just use my phone as a tool.
Shirley (25:33)
Thank you so much for sharing, Clarissa. I must agree with you. Creating barriers to the app can definitely make you more aware of unintentional usage. I have a similar strategy, actually. It’s an app called “OneSec.” Have you guys ever heard of the app?
Clarissa (25:42)
No, I haven’t. What does it do? So, when I try to open TikTok, OneSec interrupts with a prompt to take a deep breath. So, I want everyone to take a deep breath with me right now. Breathing in and breathing out. After taking one breath, the app would ask whether or not you would like to continue on TikTok. I found that breathing brings me back to my mind and body. It’s a pause for me to reflect on whether or not I actually want to scroll on TikTok and most of the time, the answer is “no.”
Rose (26:22)
That’s a really simple strategy. How did you find out about the app?
Shirley (26:30)
Absolutely. I heard about it from a friend who’s used it before. I was a little bit skeptical, so I did some digging and found research by the University of Heidelberg and the Max Planck Institute that tested the effectiveness of the app. According to the results, users actually dismissed the urge to open the target apps 36% of the time and they opened them 37% less overall. This research convinced me to install OneSec and limit my time on TikTok and other social media apps as well.
Clarissa (26:56)
Wow, Shirley, you just convinced me to install the app. They might as well sponsor you to market it.
Shirley (27:01)
I know, right? I successfully deleted TikTok and now I’m working on reducing my screen time on Instagram with OneSec. How about you, Rose?
Rose (27:09)
Well, whenever I feel the urge to use TikTok, I try to recognize why. Like, am I feeling stressed? Am I feeling anxious? Am I procrastinating something like a difficult assignment or serious text I need to send? By working to address these hesitations rather than relying on TikTok, I have become more mindful of my social media usage. Additionally, the American Psychiatric Association also recommends taking general breaks from social media and turning off notifications to limit distractions.
Shirley (27:41)
So those are just a few simple ways to take back control of your TikTok habits and spend less time glued to your screen, whether it’s setting physical boundaries, using tools like the OneSec app, or practicing mindfulness. With these tips in mind, we hope you feel inspired to take small steps toward a more mindful TikTok experience. That brings us to the end of today’s episode, but it’s just the beginning of rethinking how we spend our time on TikTok and online.
We discussed our TikTok habits, some signs of excessive TikTok use, policies surrounding the app, and tips for everyone to reduce their scrolling.
Rose (28:19)
I would like to invite everyone to take a moment and reflect on your TikTok habits and reasons why you use it.
Clarissa (28:26)
Just remember that you are the author of your own time, so don’t let endless scrolling write your story for you. Bye!
Marciane Any (28:38)
Wow, what a great episode! I am definitely guilty of spending hours on social media.
Tamara Petresin (28:46)
Ooh, yeah, I know. And I am, like, “I don’t use TikTok.” I don’t have like the app on my phone, but like one of the hosts said too, I use Instagram Reels, which is arguably the exact same thing. YouTube Shorts, whatever you call it, they’re all pretty much the same.
Marciane Any (29:00)
Honestly, and I just, I’ll get lost in different rabbit holes. And before you know it, an hour has gone by. Two hours has gone by. And then you really are thinking,” wow, I’m, like, I don’t have much time in the day, but maybe if I cut my screen time by a bit, I will have time for other things.” And even just trying to incorporate other, maybe more helpful stress relief strategies, because that’s what I usually use it for. But there’s probably other things that would be better for my brain and body to do.
Tamara Petresin (29:33)
Yeah, definitely. I feel like it is like a form of like escapism almost, right? Like, you get locked in, but kind of like the podcast was mentioning too, there’s definitely harmful content that we come across too. For me lately, it’s been the algorithm is pushing me onto really like homesteading and making everything from scratch. Like, and I don’t know if it’s because I look at a lot of food and recipes and things so that I’ll get all these recipes of people making, like, crackers from scratch and I think, “that’s lovely,” and the people that have time to do that, “incredible,” like, for sure but it also makes you feel a little bad when you’re not doing those things and so I liked how they said, you know, “take a deep breath and come back to that moment” and, like, “how is this making you feel?”
Marciane Any (30:18)
100%. I’ll keep it to a minimum but I have been getting a lot of weight loss commercials and things like that are now marketed in a different way because, especially on YouTube, you can say, “I want to see less of this,” or, like, block an ad but it will either not fully do it or I’ll get an ad in a different way. They’re getting more strategic with their wording with what they’re doing but it’s still at the end of the day comes down to “buy this pill or this program or whatever” and it’s solely concentrated on weight loss which, if that’s your goal, awesome, however for someone who’s trying to be more like healthy all around and, you know, strengthen a positive body image, that’s not helpful.
Tamara Petresin (31:08)
No, it’s so true and there are good things out there, like, it’s cool, that we can just get all these different recipe ideas, right? And it’s so quick and easy but then it’s hard to sift through all that bad, and the stuff that doesn’t make us feel good so I feel like all those tips that they shared about being mindful, taking that deep breath, “do I really want to look at TikTok? Is that really what I want to do?” You know, it’s really helpful. Really helpful tips and I feel like, especially, too, when we talk about TikTok it makes me think about the misinformation that’s on social media as well and that amazing episode that we did with Timothy Caulfield. If you haven’t listened to that episode, go check it out, you know, misinformation and echo chambers and how social media is the perfect vessel for all these things. So, it’s a really interesting one to check out if you haven’t already.
Honestly, this is such a helpful episode. There’s so many good tips in there. I feel like we can all do a bit better on how we manage our social media, and I know that I’m definitely going to try and practice the mindfulness and maybe even finding something else to do instead of the scrolling time. I feel like usually scrolling time for me is after dinner, like, everything’s cleaned up and then I’m, like, “Well, it’s too early to go to bed.” [laughter] So, finding a different activity, you know, finding a different activity to replace that.
Marciane Any (32:22)
Maybe go back to painting?
Tamara Petresin (32:26)
Yeah, maybe cleaning? Something creative, yeah, definitely.
One of my favorite parts of their podcast was when they said, “you are the author of your own time. don’t let endless scrolling write your story,” and I think that’s a great place to end it off on. So, as we close out today’s episode, we’d like to give a big thank you to the students from Nutrition Education for their hard work in creating these podcasts and also sharing them with us here on the Healthy Habits Happy Homes podcast. We hope you enjoyed listening and we’ll catch you next time!